Three of a Perfect Pair cover

Three of a Perfect Pair

Released

The third entry in King Crimson’s early-1980s trilogy and the last album made by the Fripp-Belew-Levin-Bruford configuration feels more willfully opaque than the first two, and more sonically compressed. The title track is a romantic lament, mixed densely and claustrophobically; “Sleepless” feels desperate, while “Industry” is a clattery, grinding tone poem. “Man with an Open Heart” is the closest thing to a pop song here, but it’s a cry of despair. This is objectively excellent music, but not as enjoyable a listen as either Discipline or Beat, the first two albums recorded by this manifestation of the band.

Rick Anderson

Recommended by

Suggestions
Indicum cover

Indicum

Bobo Stenson
Reclamation cover

Reclamation

Burning Ghosts
He(a)r cover

He(a)r

Nordic Affect
Danse cover

Danse

Patrice Moret, Julian Sartorius, Colin Vallon
Wonderful Rainbow cover

Wonderful Rainbow

Lightning Bolt
This is PiL cover

This is PiL

Public Image Ltd
Hadoukly Yours cover

Hadoukly Yours

Hadouk Quartet
Gonervill cover

Gonervill

Gonervill
Jazz at Massey Hall cover

Jazz at Massey Hall

Bud Powell, Max Roach, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie
Off the Beaten Track cover

Off the Beaten Track

African Head Charge